This model represents the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 035 “Ming” class submarine, built in 1/350 scale and finished using acrylics with oils applied for restrained weathering. As with all of my submarine builds, the model is mounted on a standardized, hand-cut hardwood base painted to resemble a miniature slipway for consistent presentation across the collection.
The display base includes three reference elements: the national flag of origin, a 1/350 scale human figure positioned just above and to the right of the flag for size comparison, and a QR code that can be scanned with a cellphone camera (see the side-view photo) to access additional background information on the submarine class.
The Type 035 Ming class was a Chinese development derived from the earlier Soviet Romeo-class design and represents a transitional step in China’s submarine evolution during the late Cold War and post–Cold War period. Although based on older Soviet technology, the Ming class incorporated incremental improvements in propulsion, sensors, and hull refinement over time. These submarines formed the backbone of China’s conventional submarine force for decades before being gradually replaced by more modern designs.
Operationally, the Ming class emphasized coastal defense, regional patrols, and training roles rather than extended blue-water missions. While lacking the stealth and endurance of later air-independent propulsion submarines, the class played an important role in bridging the technological gap between early imported designs and China’s indigenous modern submarine programs.
From a modeling standpoint, weathering was done in a way to depict a used and weary Chinese sub which has been obscured by time and history.
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